Equipment
Details on the putter Bubba Watson credited for his Hero win
After Bubba Watson won the Hero World Championship in the Bahamas this weekend, he credited a new Ping putter with a “dot system” for the three-shot win. As it turns out, the dot system is less complicated than it sounds — Watson switched to a dot alignment aid on the top rail of a new Milled Anser 1 putter instead of his typical sight line on the flange. What Watson didn’t tell us about the putter, however, turns out to be the more interesting part of the story.
According to Ping’s Director of Communications Pete Samuels, the Ping team wanted Watson to try a new putter, something different than the rainbow-finished Milled Anser 1 that he used to win the 2014 Masters and has been his go-to putter ever since. So Ping milled a one-off putter to Watson’s specifications through its WRX (custom) department, which was ready for him when he arrived at Ping’s HQ in Phoenix on Nov. 19 for a video shoot.
The head weight of that putter was 318 grams (the total weight was 493.5 grams), which turned out to be too light for Watson, but he liked the sight dot alignment aid he requested and asked Ping to make another one, this time heavier.
Ping delivered the heavier model (head weight 339 grams, total weight 520.6 grams) to Watson before Thanksgiving, which proved to be slightly too heavy for his taste. The Goldilocks game ended when Watson returned to Ping HQ on Nov. 30, and the Ping team machined 10 grams of weight off the face of the putter while Watson waited, giving the putter a head weight of 329 grams (total weight 510.6 grams).
As for the finishing touches, Watson had his first and last name engraved on the bumpers of the putter with the letters painted red, white and blue. The putter measures 34.5 inches, and has 2 degrees of loft with a lie angle of 69 degrees. Watson’s grip is Ping’s PP58 Midsize Gray with three wraps of grip tape.
Click here to see photos of the rest of the clubs Watson used to win the Hero World Challenge.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Charlie
Dec 9, 2015 at 5:42 pm
The Nike Method 001 that Tiger uses has the same dot as well.
Bill Schoneberger
Dec 9, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Cool putter but I’m MORE interested in the Pool/Putting TABLE picture. Why the heck is it up in the air like that and what is PING learning from it??
Scooter
Dec 9, 2015 at 11:16 pm
Just a guess … looks like a large slab that is precision installed to make sure the surface is completely flat, no break in any direction
Alex
Dec 9, 2015 at 7:29 am
They way Bubba putts, the smooth swing, the square face… He can make putts with a hockey stick.
Tom Duckworth
Dec 8, 2015 at 6:47 pm
All jokes aside but is that the same face pattern as a Rife putter? Is it stainless steel?
Jay
Dec 8, 2015 at 4:06 pm
I want to know what finish that is because it’s not the nickel plated finish on the Anser Milled line. That putter looks great!
mike
Dec 7, 2015 at 8:44 pm
I’m still not following what the Dot Alignment has to do with his Choice of change of putters?. I agree it does look a lot like a Rife.
rex235
Dec 7, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Actually Ryan, at PING they do, but they just won’t market it.
(See Phil Mickelson British Open, and the Callaway Mack Daddy Wedges)
PING might offer the putter as a series, but it could be $$$$ if you want your name milled too.
Already have 3 LH Dale Head Ansers at various weights.
“BubbaDale” may not work.
tom
Dec 7, 2015 at 2:42 pm
Great info. So much for the theory that everyone should use heavier putters on faster greens. Most amateurs these days would scoff at a 339 gram head weight, saying it’s too light. Yet Bubba is playing PGA Tournamnet greens with one. Interesting.
Joe Duffer
Dec 10, 2015 at 9:27 pm
Bubba’s final putter had a 329 gram head. Lighter yet and very similar to Tiger’s.
MJ
Dec 7, 2015 at 12:35 pm
What’s the “dot system”?
All I see is a dot on the top line. Is that the whole system?
Rife
Dec 7, 2015 at 12:12 am
It’s a RIFE!!!!
Ryan S.
Dec 6, 2015 at 10:11 pm
If Bubba dosn’t want the 318 gram putter I’ll gladly take it off their hands. Lefties don’t get many chances like this.
Mike
Dec 6, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Great looking flat stick!
Chuck
Dec 6, 2015 at 7:47 pm
Interesting. But of course for the retail market, where players can’t get heads milled to their weight preferences, interchangeable weights make sense.
The thing I really wanted to know about was the groove configuration on the putter face. As people were asking in the photo thread on Bubba’s new putter, is that a new design? A mod of the current retail Ping configuration (“True Roll”) or something else? A proto design?
Rife
Dec 7, 2015 at 12:15 am
RIFE